THE wife of the former Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Lady Margaret Martin has sadly passed away.

THE wife of the former Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Lady Margaret Martin has sadly passed away.

She died peacefully at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Sunday, November 23, after a battle with cancer. She was 83-years-old.

Lady Martin, of The Brand, in Woodhouse Eaves, dedicated most of her time to the community.

She was chairman and councillor of Woodhouse Parish Council, trustee of the Herrick Homes charity and Bradgate Park and played an active role in a number of service related charities, which included, the Royal British Legion and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

In her early years, she served in the Women’s Royal Navy Service where she was based at the famous Bletchley Park decoding secret messages during World War II.

She later joined the police force as a constable.

It was during this time, she met her husband, Sir Andrew Martin, a colonel in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and they travelled the globe before moving to Woodhouse Eaves in 1964.

Her husband, who served as Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire between 1965 and 1988, passed away in 1993. Their only son, Colonel Robert Martin, 56, told the Echo: “She always loved living here in Woodhouse.

“She was an incredibly busy person up to the end of her life and was deeply involved in the local affairs around Charnwood.

“She did all she could to preserve what she loved.

“She was also a wonderful and devoted mother and grandmother.”

David Baker QC, chairman of Woodhouse Parish Council, added: “My experience was whenever I went to a county function, everyone present knew her.

“She was a gracious woman who would do her utmost for other people and other organisations.”

She leaves behind a son, two granddaughters, 21 and 27, and a grandson, 25, who is platoon commander in the 2nd Battalion of the Rifles.

The funeral is to be held at St Paul’s Church in Woodhouse Eaves on Wednesday, December 10, at 11am, followed by a Thanksgiving service at 3pm.